AniLites #1: The Joining
by Nighteyes27
Summary: Well, it's Animorphs, only, in this one, humans=Andalites and vice versa.


# A/n: Plot design and chapters 1-2 are courtesy ofJekkal (jekkal@juno.com). The rest is mine.

# Disclaimer: Animorphs belongs to KAA and/or Scholastic. This story belongs to me and Jekkal. We're not making any money for it.

# A/n: A MWDS is what the "Andalite Porta-John" was in #14. A Modular Waste Disposal System.

# AniLites #1: The Joining

## Chapter One

My name is Aximili. 

That's all you'll get out of my name. No second name, no last name, no scoop number, no quadrant, nothing that could give the Yeerks any help. 

Yeerk. that's a word you need to remember. For it spells doom to all species, all races, all worlds. 

But back to the subject. My friends and I won't tell you a thing that could help the Yeerks. Because we're trying to survive. At least until the Humans come. If they come. 

It started back at the mall, where me and my _shorm_ Alloran were playing Tail Fighter in the Arcade. I have a gaming system at home, so I'm pretty good, but Alloran has this unique knack to find the little secrets in games, so he beats me sometimes. 

Brip Brip Brip! the machine said. PLAYER 2 WINS showed up on the screen. 

HAH! Got you again! 

Hah yourself. That was our last quarter, I said, turning my jumpsuit pockets inside out to show I was clean. 

Fine. We need to get back before moonset or our parents'll ground us, We turned back to get home when we ran into Jekkal and Melis. 

Melis is one of those people who could go through a mudslide, walk through a hurricane, and step in and out of an erupting volcano clean, with every hair in place. But don't let the look fool you. She acts like a War-Princess. She's quite beautiful; although since I'm her cousin, I don't notice it as much. 

One look at Jekkal next to Melis will make you wonder why these two are even friends. She works at her dad's office, which is really an extra scoop filled with all sorts of animals. She doesn't give a flip about fashion. Which I like. But there's also another thing I like. As in _like_ like. 

Want us to walk you home? I said. That was the wrong thing to say. If anything, you don't want to even imply to Melis that she's weak or needs "protection". 

You think you're so cool, you big strong ANNNDALITEEE? Melis taunted. You think just because-- 

You might want to go by yourself, Jekkal said, but I don't. That's Jekkal for you. Always knows what to say to stop an argument. 

As we were leaving the mall we ran into Tashe. Sort of a dweeby kid. I had just saved him from having his head shoved in a MWDS. I guess he considered me his friend since he didn't have anyone else. Hey, Tashe. 

Hey guys. Mind if I head back to the scoops with you? 

Sure. I said. Not like that was a problem. 

So there we were. Five mall rats, heading home on a Friday night. I almost try to remember that last moment we were still just a bunch of Andalite teens, with teen problems. The scariest thing I worried about was telling my brother, Elfangor, that I didn't make the driftball team. 

Five minutes later, things got a lot scarier. 

## Chapter Two

We had reached the intersection where the construction site was. There was supposed to be a modern school, one with two levels, built there, but it was just left there in mid-project for dead. We occasionally went there in the day to find old remounts of fires or drug needles. There was even an old crane there that I climbed once while Alloran stayed on the ground and told me I was insane. 

Now, there were two ways to get home. One was to stay along the streets, which was the long and safe way. Or go through the site. My parents swore to ground me until I'm thirty if they ever knew I went through there. But it was only a few minutes until moonset, and I needed to take the chance or I'd be in big trouble anyway. 

We pranced through the area, keeping an eye out for murderers or scoopless people as we walked through. But they weren't to be the problem. 

Tashe saw it first. That just seemed to be the way he is, off in his own world, keeping his stalk eyes to the sky instead of the ground where he needed them. Guys. Stop. 

What? I asked. 

Look up, he said. We turned all eyes up to stare at the blue-white dot, scooting across the sky between the stars, moving in every which way you could think of. It began to grow in size. 

I think it's landing. Melis said, full of awe. 

I had a closer look of the ship as it landed. About the size of a scoop, it was white, ball-shaped, with two wings on either side. A smaller fin grew from the top, like a webbed hand. The front had a rounded cone nose, the back with small clusters of engines. Almost harmless, until you saw the legs it stood on. Two in front, two in back, the front having three fingers ending in wicked claws along with a similar thumb, the back being superhot oval sheets that burned an eerie red. It stood there. 

Uhhh... do we run? I asked. 

I think it's landing. Alloran said. Like he knew what these creatures were. Right. 

A line of light opened, growing wider until it was a huge oblong square. A shape appeared in the light. 

A strange creature, having only two legs and no tail, he wore a black jumpsuit with a wide silver hip line and a lightning bolt crossing from his right shoulder to the left of the line. His shoes were also black, but unlike ours, covered the bottom of the hoof. His face had a nose that jutted out like the ships, with two large openings at the bottom. There was a huge gash in his face, lined with white hard objects holding back a red, semi-soft object. He was pinkish-tan where the jumpsuit or shoes did not cover him, with light brown fur coming down from the top of his head to his curved ears. He only had main eyes. 

Come out. We won't hurt you. 

"I know." 

What was that?! I heard it! Jekkal screamed, eyes wide with fear. 

"Do not be afraid, Andalites," it said again. He stepped out of his ship, staggered, and fell. 

I ran to his side. When I looked, he had a bad burn across his side down to his right leg. He groaned in pain. 

Aximili, give me your shirt. Maybe I can make some bandages out of it. Jekkal said. She knew a lot about medical stuff, but it looked like its going to take more than a shirt to heal this one up. 

"Don't bother. The wound is fatal. I will die here," he said, almost emotionless for a minute, then groaned again in pain. He twisted his face back again, like he wasn't going to let the burn stop him. "Go into my ship! There is a small tan sphere. Very plain. Bring it to me!" 

I leapt into the ship. It was mostly covered in sharp edges, with a white and black design. Very rigid. Which is probably why I found the sphere so fast. I grabbed and began to head out. 

As I was about to leave, something caught my eye. A hologram, with two of the strange creatures. The second one was slightly darker and wore a similar, yet fairly different outfit. I jumped back out of the ship. 

I handed the sphere to the alien. I saw a pair in a hologram. Was she- 

"Yes. But that's not the point." He moaned again. "Listen. There are others coming." 

Others? Like you? Tashe said. 

"No, not like me. Different." 

How so? I asked. And his words burned into me. 

"They have come to destroy you." 

## Chapter Three

No one said Yeah, right , or You're lying . Somehow, we all knew he was telling the truth. 

How do we know that's the truth? I think someone would have mentioned it at school, Alloran said reasonably. 

"You do not understand. The Yeerks are--" 

I guess he couldn't explain it, because he reached into a pocket of his jumpsuit. He withdrew a picture. It looked like a gray slug, about the size of a newborn calf's hoof. 

"The Yeerks are parasites. In their natural form, they are harmless. However, the Yeerks evolved to enslave peoples' minds. They control all your thoughts. Persons on this state are known as Controllers. 

"We humans fight the Yeerks wherever they spread across the galaxy. The Yeerks are now targeting your homeworld. We tried to stop them. A fleet. We fought, but....we lost. They had a hidden mothership in one of your moons. I am the only human to survive the battle." 

Then, a huge spasm ripped through the human. He had a sad look on his face-he knew his time was almost up. 

So, what good will this knowledge do us? 

"There is a.......power I can give you. It is the power to morph. To change your shape. I probably should not. But, I have no choice. First, though, do you wish to receive this power?" 

When you say change our shape, do you mean we can change into animals? Jekkal questioned the human. 

"Yes. You have only to touch an animal, to acquire its DNA pattern, and you can change into it. There are dangers, limitations, other things you must be aware of. There is not enough time to explain all of it. But, just remember this-never stay in a morph for more than two of your Andalite hours, or you will be trapped, unable to demorph." 

You're joking, right? Yeerks and the power to change into animals and aliens? This is INSANE!! Alloran said. 

Suddenly, Melis was looking at me like I should decide whether or not we should all accept the power. 

Melis, I don't know! I said despairingly. We should decide as a group, though. 

I'm in, Melis said. 

Me, too, Jekkal said. 

Then, I looked at Tashe. A shiver ran up my spine. We have to, Tashe said. 

I nodded. We have no choice. 

Alloran frowned, but said nothing. 

"All right. Now, everyone, touch a part of your body to this sphere." 

I put a hand on. So did Melis. Jekkal did as well. 

This is insane! Alloran said. But he did it too. 

Then there was only Tashe left. He looked at the ground, looked up, and looked at the ground again. His face was a study of sadness and....an emotion I could only guess as unworthiness. 

"This gift is for you, too........Tashe." 

Tashe looked freaked out. How do you know my name? he demanded of..... the human. 

"Hurry!" the human said again. 

Since Tashe was at the back of the group, he arched his tail over our heads, and touched the very tip of the blade to the sphere. 

Suddenly, a shock ran through me. You know how it is, when you're little, when you have a bad dream, you feel better when your mom or dad helps you stand up, and get some water and grass? That was like this. A tingle, pleasurable. 

Suddenly, the human looked up. Red lights were swarming across the sky. 

"The Yeerks are searching for me. They will be here in a few minutes. Run!" 

I jerked from the tone of command in his voice. He's right! Go! 

We hauled some serious hoof. All but Tashe, who knelt by the human. 

The human said something to Tashe. Tashe seemed to reply. The human pushed something into Tashe's hands. Tashe stuffed it into a pocket of his jumpsuit. Then he ran towards us. 

Then, the Yeerks landed. 

## Chapter Four

First to come out were these huge aliens. Maybe seven feet tall, they had elbow and wrist blades. Blades jutted out from their turned-back knees. Blades also were at their faces. But, some had two face-blades and some had three. 

_Hmmmm. I wonder if that's some sort of cultural thing, maybe two different tribes?_ I thought to myself. Even in the midst of terror, I still remembered my Unknown Alien Cultures training. 

Tashe took out the packet the human had given him. Luckily, it was written in Galard. 

They're Hork-Bajir, he read out loud. Peaceful, until the Yeerks enslaved them. 

Peaceful? Yeah, right. They look like walking weapons! Alloran commented. 

Tashe continued. Their night-vision is very dim, day vision is OK. Their hearing is excellent, which means we should be very quiet, he warned. 

Then, our attention was drawn to what slithered out of the ship next. 

Whoa! Huge centipedes! Jekkal said. 

I had to agree. Taxxons, Tashe read. They chose to serve the Yeerks-as voluntary Controllers. They are cannibalistic. 

Then, _he_ appeared. Look, its another one! Another human! Melis said. 

No. This one's different, Jekkal countered. 

"Ahh, Commander Tom from the USA," _it_ sneered. 

"Visser Three!" the human - Commander Tom - said. 

Visser Three: the only Yeerk ever to infest a human. The human is known only as Tobias. The only Yeerk to-- no way! Tashe cried. 

To WHAT?!?! Alloran demanded, impatient. His tail was twitching. 

"Since Visser Three has a human body, he has the morphing power", Tashe quoted. He looked up. He will be our most dangerous enemy. 

I nodded in agreement. 

"Why the Andalites? Why THIS world?" Commander Tom questioned. 

Visser Three laughed. "Because there are so many. They don't know what's going on. They have natural defenses-their tailblades. Take your pick! 

"But, not now. Now, I kill you. But first... Commander Tom, when we Yeerks have finished our conquest of your world, I will personally hunt down your family. I will oversee their infestation at the hands of my trusted lieutenants." 

The Visser started morphing. "I hope--" they will resist, he said, arrogance shrouding every word. So I can hear their minds scream! 

Even in the middle of terror, I wondered how Visser Three could use thought-speech. _It must be the morph_, I thought. 

"NO!" Commander Tom hadn't been doing anything. Suddenly, he flicked his wrist. A small, holdout blaster appeared and he shot at Visser Three's morph. At the same time, a beam of light shot out from Commander Tom's ship. It hit one fighter and exploded. 

The fighter that exploded was a Bug Fighter. The other one is a Blade Ship, Tashe said, still reading. 

All at once, the other Bug Fighter shot its lasers at Commander Tom's ship. It vaporized. Visser Three had finished morphing, and one of his huge hands came down and swept Commander Tom up. He fired at Visser Three time and time again, but it was just pinpricks against that huge monster. 

Visser Three hung Commander Tom over his mouth. 

Then, Visser Three dropped him. 

## Chapter Five

"AAAAAAAUUUGGGHH!!!!" Commander Tom cried out. At the very end, he howled in pain and terror. 

You filthy piece of-- I started. I grabbed a piece of gansteel, intent on avenging Commander Tom. 

I guess I went insane or something, because there was no way, I, armed with a pipe and my tailblade, was going to do much against Visser Three's huge morph and about fifty Hork-Bajir and Taxxons. 

Are you insane!? Alloran demanded. He and Tashe held my tailblade and my back down, mostly by sitting on me. Jekkal put her hand on my face. 

I was stunned. This was an Andalite kiss. Don't you see? He doesn't want us dying for him. _He's_ dying for _us_! 

I shoved Alloran and Tashe away angrily, but I had retained my common sense. 

Alloran turned away, _shannling_. _Shannling_ is the Andalite version of, well, barfing, as a human youth put it. A greenish-red liquid came out of Alloran's hooves. It is painful and is moderately loud. 

An understandable thing to do, really. Especially considering what we'd just seen. 

But, all the same, it attracted the attention of the nearest Hork-Bajir guard. He swiveled his head towards us. 

We were perfectly still. 

He took one, two, three steps towards us. And we broke and ran. 

## Chapter Six

I don't know who ran first. Maybe it was me. Maybe it was Alloran, or Tashe, or Melis, or Jekkal. Maybe we all just felt a huge jolt of electricity all at once, and ran all at once. 

Anyway, we split up, going in three different directions. 

Me and Melis took off one way. Jekkal and Alloran took off in another, and Tashe split up all by himself. 

Tashe is really out of shape, and Alloran and Jekkal were both too small to be really fast. So I figured it was up to me and Melis to make a distraction. 

I guess she figured that out too, because she slowed down, waved her arms, and yelled Come one, come on, you- 

Then she said some words I didn't realize Melis even knew. 

We turned and hauled some tail. 

Suddenly, I tripped. I glanced down. I had forgotten to trim my hooves lately, and I had tripped over a rock. 

I glanced down, and decided I couldn't run in this condition. So, I did a rough trimming job. 

I guess Melis realized I wasn't beside her, because she turned and looked at me. 

Melis! Go! Don't wait for me! I yelled to her. 

I could read horror written all over her face, but she nodded bravely and turned. 

I finished trimming my hooves, but by this time the Hork-Bajir was right on me. As in right! On! ME! 

## Chapter Seven

I jumped into one of the buildings. I found my way around the corridors, and out, but not before I almost ran into a Controller. 

No, no need to take prisoners. Whoever you find, just kill and bring the head to me, an Andalite voice broadcast arrogantly somewhere near me. 

I knew I had heard that voice before. _Where?_

## Chapter Eight

When I got home, I called around to the others. They were all shaken. 

I went to sleep, hoping it was all a dream. In my heart of hearts, I knew it wasn't. 

I woke up the next morning when my mother, Forlay-______-______, woke me up. 

Aximili! Your friend Tashe is here to see you! she called. 

I lifted myself off the ground, stretching. _What is Tashe doing here?_ I wondered. 

Where is he? I asked my mother. 

He's in that patch of grass near the river. The one that you can't see from the normal scoop. she answered. 

Thanks, Mom, I said. I gave her a small kiss. 

I trotted out to where Tashe was waiting, grabbing a quick breakfast as I went. 

Hey, Tashe I called as I trotted towards the field. 

He turned to face me. His eyes were shining, and he looked so happy. 

Aximili! I did it! I morphed! he yelled. 

I stopped dead in my tracks, then walked to the river. I drank some water. 

So, it wasn't a dream I muttered to myself. 

What? Tashe queried me. He shook me out of my dark thoughts. 

Nothing. I said. So, you said you morphed? What? 

He smiled. I morphed a kafit bird. Jekkal had one in her barn, with a broken wing. So, I morphed it. 

How did you fly if one of its wings was broken? I wondered, more to myself than to Tashe. 

He rolled his eyes. Ummm, Aximili? Do you pay attention in biology class? DNA is the basic structure, the "blueprint" of an animal. The DNA wasn't broken, just a wing was. 

Oh, well, um... okay... I said, feeling a bit uncertain. 

Tashe's expression closed. You don't believe me. Fine. I'll prove it to you. 

With that, he started to change..... 

## Chapter Nine

His legs slid up either flank. His arms slid downwards. Three sets of wing popped from him. 

Suddenly, he shot downwards. His tailblade was sucked up into his tail, which promptly split into a kafit's tail. His fur turned into feathers. I could hear bones crunching inside of him. It was disgusting! 

Finally, he was totally kafit. Aximili? he asked. 

Tashe! I said. 

Aximili. Why don't you try? he asked me. 

Well, OK, umm.... I trailed off. Then, I spotted the perfect morph in a tree nearby. 

How about this? I asked cockily. 

A djabala? asked Tashe. 

Yes, it shouldn't be too hot to handle. 

With that, I started to change...... 

## Chapter Ten

Suddenly, I was shrinking and shrinking. 

I heard the thought-speech equivalent of laughter. I realized it was Tashe. What is SOOOO funny?! I demanded of him. 

He kept laughing. Just a miniature Aximili. 

I realized, belatedly, that while I had shrunk to djabala-size proportions, nothing else had changed. So, I was, in essence, a miniature Aximili. 

Suddenly, my fur turned greenish-brown. My stalk eyes retracted into my head. My tailblade became soft and squishy, and retracted into my tail. My tail became longer and thinner, less bulky. My hooves softened into a puttylike goo, and reformed as 4 little tiny toes. My arms just retracted into my torso. My rear legs slid back, and my front legs slid frontwards. 

My ears rounded out, became a little more sensitive. My eyes whirled, becoming an amber color. My eyesight was worse. Then, finally, a mouth formed. 

The morph was complete. I was a djabala.

## Chapter Eleven 

The djabala mind decided to kick in just then. 

It turned this was and that. It noticed Tashe, but dismissed him as any threat. Andalites _are_, after all, grazing animals. 

The djabala wanted a tree. It ran up to the closest one and jumped up to a low branch. It grabbed a leaf off of the tree and started to eat. 

Oh, the taste! The flavor! It would be impossible to describe the heavenly feeling that was coursing through me right then, to an Andalite who could _not_ morph. 

More, more, more! I wanted more. I grabbed as many leaves as I could and stuffed them into my mouth. 

Just then, I became aware of a niggling voice in my mind. Aximili! Aximili! Are you OK in there? 

Confused! The djabala mind left me hanging from a branch by its tail, while- 

Wait. _Its? Mine? _

Aximili! Its me, Tashe! Reassert your individual consciousness! 

WHAT?!?! 

Suddenly, I knew who I was again. 

Aximili, I don't like this. Demorph now! Tashe said urgently. 

I demorphed. I grew. My fur turned back to its normal blue color. My arms slid back down, to become legs. Two arms sprouted from my torso. My hooves formed. 

Finally, my tail thickened and my blade shot out. 

Sorry, Tashe. I guess-- I guess the morph took control of me for a second. I said shakily. I hadn't recovered yet, I guess. 

That's OK, Aximili. That happened to me, too, when I morphed the kafit. Luckily, my mom was still asleep. 

Tashe has the weirdest family I know of. His parents got separated when he was young, so his dad lives halfway across the planet. He lives with his mom, here. 

Well, Tashe, I guess we should call the others. 

OK. When do you want to meet? 

Why are you asking me? I questioned him, still a little out of it from the morph. 

Well, you're the leader. Tashe sounded confused. Like I should know that. 

THAT got my attention. Wait, since when am I the leader? I demanded, stopping dead in my tracks. 

You just are. Tashe said, almost mystically. 

OK, well then, I guess we meet in Jekkal's barn in one hour, all right? I said in a challenging tone. 

All right. Tashe said. 

I sighed. I'll tell Alloran and Melis; you get Jekkal? I asked. 

Sure, no problem. With that, he morphed to kafit to fly back to his scoop. 

A beak extended from just under his nose. He shrunk. Within a short time, he was up and flying free, in the air. 

Right then, I had a bad feeling. Watching him like that. A feeling, that's all. 

Remember, Tashe, no more than two hours, right? I asked. 

Right, Aximili. Right. 

And he wheeled away to go back to his scoop. 

##   
The End

## A preview of #2: The Battle:

## I morphed to kafit bird. It's the only morph I had.

## I saw Aximili morphing his flaar; Melis, her hoober; Jekkal, her talsoan; and Alloran, his jerkandal.

## Suddenly, a Hork-Bajir turned, going for Alloran, who was helpless in mid-morph.

## I gained some air, and shot down at more than 150 human miles per hour, heading for the Hork-Bajir who had targeted Alloran.

## I hit his eyes, a rocket. I was past him, and wheeling to come around.

## He bellowed. Jekkal roared. And the nightmare went on........  



End file.
